Parachute

2086 A.D.

Wade Jackson was Head of Entertainment for Earths biggest TV company. Channel One. He was the brains behind the worldwide phenomenon reality show “Riot”.

The programme was a great concept. He arranged for six actors to be smuggled into the South East London township of Croydon. Their objective was to create as much chaos as possible. They had to incite violence, unrest and ultimately a riot. They spread rumours and gossip everywhere they went. By day five they succeeded. A riot started and continued for two days and nights. Sixty-eight people died. On its final day the audience figures peaked at one hundred and seventy million viewers.

The audience loved it. They had to vote for their favourite contestant. Votes would only be accepted for the contestants who came out uninjured. Only two did. The winner was an Englishman by the name of Todd Baker. His reward was three million credits. He became a household name.

But it was all over by day seven and that was a year ago. Wade desperately needed something new.

And now he had it and was about to pitch it to the Chairman and two board members.

At 10.45am he walked into the boardroom. He didn’t wait to be greeted. He went straight into his presentation.

“It will be a gameshow like no other. It will revolutionise the format and things will never be the same again. It will be called “Parachute” and we will beam it into every middle and upper class home on the planet. It will be prime Saturday night entertainment. A two hour show between 20.30 and 22.30. The advertising revenues will be enormous. Every major company that exists will want to be a part of it.”

The head of Channel One smiled and gestured for Wade to continue.

“We go into the poorest townships around the globe. We ask these “people” if they want a chance for a better life. We tell them they can take part in a new quiz show and could become as wealthy and famous as Todd Baker. We need about four hundred of the dumb fucks so we can make a years’ worth of programmes. They’ll fall over themselves to be a part of it! We put them up in a military base and every week we choose eight to be in the show. We send these poor fuckers up in a drone Airbus360 to thirty-two thousand feet. Once they’re up there we set them a task. Task one will be something quite easy. I’m thinking maybe a general knowledge quiz. Whoever wins gets a prize…a parachute. They then jump. For them it’s over.”

Board member Sir Gerald Smythe looked confused.

“Excuse me, but the WINNER gets a parachute?”

Wade smiled.

“Bear with me Sir Gerald. It’s a show where nothing is what it seems. The contestants never see the answers so they just assume that the person who takes the parachute has lost.”

The board members nodded and Wade continued.

“Rounds two and three will be something tactile. They will have to make something or take something apart and put it back together again. Doesn’t really matter cos we don’t give a shit. The winners get a parachute and jump. That leaves us with five.”

Colonel John Mack stood up.

“Now just hold on a minute Mr Jackson. Like Sir Gerald, I’m a little confused here. Why are all the winners made to jump out of the plane. It makes no sense.”

Wade ignored the Colonel and carried on.

“You’ll see where this is going soon enough. Now, please let me continue.”

He paused and took a sip of water.

“The next two challenges will be completely futile. They will seem like a big deal but they won’t be. Maybe we’ll have them mimicking a celebrity or something, who cares. Creative will take care of it. But the important thing is the best ones will be given a parachute and then they jump. That leaves three. Then we ask the public to vote. Ask them to vote for the person they would like to see lose the most. Not win. Lose. The person with the least votes gets a parachute and jumps.”

The Chairman leaned forward.

“So the losers are really the winners?”

Wade smiled.

“All will be revealed soon.”

The Chairman was looking unimpressed.

“I hope so wade because at the moment this show makes little sense.”

Wade kept going.

“Think about it. We are now left with the two worst contestants. But they think they’ve done really well. They think they’re in with a chance of big money, fame, a life changing opportunity. We’ll be watching their every move and so will millions of viewers. Imagine the excitement of these two people. They have nothing in their townships to look forward to and yet now they think they’re on the verge of greatness. Now for the second vote. Again we ask the audience to vote for the LOSER. Again the one with the fewest votes gets a parachute and jumps. Now we have our winner!”

The Chairman was intrigued.

“But he or she won’t be a winner Mr Jackson. They’ll be the worst contestant and the viewers most disliked person.”

Wade flung his arms out wide and puffed out his chest.

“Exactly. The only people that know what’s really going on are the viewers. They’ll GET it. They’ll see where it’s going and they’ll call in their millions.”

The Chairman interrupted.

“Why will they call?”

“Because every one of them will become a god!”

The three board members said the same word at the same time.

“Why?”

Wade couldn’t wait to give them the answer.

“Because from the ground we’ll tell the remaining contestant the truth. That he or she has actually lost and in five minutes we will blow up the drone. Imagine their face when it goes from joy and hope to fear and disappointment. They’ll start looking frantically for a parachute. But then we’ll tell them there were only ever seven put on board. We start the clock and watch it tick down the five minutes. Then we tell he or she that they can plead with the audience for their life. The viewers decide whether we blow up the drone or not by voting yet again.”

The Chairman stood up and clapped.

“So what about the other seven. Do they become the winners?”

Wade couldn’t wait to give his answer.

“Of course not Sir. The other seven parachutes were fake.”